Doubles Play: How to stop worrying about your volleys and start loving the net

Many club players spend a lot of time playing doubles - but a very common worry is about letting the side down at the net. And this can be such a big hindrance to enjoyment, because in a good doubles game you generally spend half the match at the net whether you like it or not!

Volleying well and feeling confident standing up the court can make a world of difference to your doubles enjoyment and success. A strong volleyer will hoover up the points and intimidate opponents into mistakes.

So here’s how you can begin to overcome those volley fears and start taking charge at the net…  

1. You think you’re no good at volleys 

It’s common to feel less confident about your volleys than your groundstrokes. But think about how many forehands and backhands you’ve hit from the baseline compared to volleys at the net. It’s hardly surprising you’re more comfortable from the back of the court. 

Technically, volleying is relatively straightforward…

Start with the racket upright (ideally in the chopper grip), held an arm’s length out in front and always in your field of vision. All you then need is a short, block punch when you go forward to meet the ball. Keep it simple. And certainly invest in some lessons to make sure you keep practising the right technique until it becomes second nature. Volleying in matches will be so much easier and more enjoyable when you know you’re hitting it correctly.

2. You’re not sure where to stand

For doubles, rather than singles, there can be little more of an art to being in the right position. First and foremost, understanding your team’s position at the start or within the point is crucial - as a pair are you on the offence or defence? 

Here’s a very general breakdown…

When you’re on the attack: This could be from the serve (if your partner has a good serve) or in a rally when you or your partner hits an attacking ball putting your opponents on the defence, you can feel confident edging closer to the net looking to pounce onto that easier finishing volley. 

When you’re on the defense: If however your partner (or you) hits a weak ball (which could include a weak serve), putting you on the defence, then it’s sensible to edge back (to around the middle of the whole service line ie towards the ‘T’ of the service box) to give yourself more time to react to their attacking ball and protect that big gap behind you.

This means as a net player in a doubles rally you should constantly find yourself moving forward to look to attack the receiving ball, then edging back on the defence as your counterpart looks for their receiving ball to attack. 

The earlier you can recognize the position that your team is in, the earlier you can get into a more suitable position at the net and the better your experience and success will be at volleying.
 

3. You’re not being proactive 

Playing offensive tennis and coming into the net is a really good strategy for your team, and one of the benefits is taking time away from your opponent… But, that also means taking time away from yourself too - you’re having to be ready and hit the ball back much sooner than if you were waiting for it from the baseline.

So to help this, a good attitude to have when you are at the net is to assume that every ball is yours. Be on your toes, be ready with your racket up to go and hit every ball that your opponent hits, and commit 100% to that interception or agreed position ‘swap’ with your partner. 

It’s having this proactive and alert mindset rather than waiting until the ball is hit to you and then feeling rushed like you have no time to react – take control of your opportunity, you simply don’t have time to wait, so go get it!

4. You’re scared of getting hit 

How many times have you found yourself in doubles at the net, feeling like you’ve got a target on your forehead. It’s certainly not a nice feeling when your opponent winds up a massive forehand at you! But there’s plenty you can do to build your confidence and do a lot more than simply duck!

Putting into practice my points above should really help (learning good technique as well as getting into a good defensive position). But here’s something you can practice to help even more…

Get a friend or your coach to throw balls right at you to hit back – not too fast initially, so you effectively practice a responsive shot. (The quickest and easiest responsive shot to hit is a one-handed backhand. Try it for yourself now - put your hand in front of your upper body - it’s much more comfortable and natural with the palm of your hand facing in than out). 

The more confident you get responding to a ball coming directly at you, the faster pace the balls can be thrown and then eventually hit towards you. This will build up your reactions and confidence so you’ll no longer feel like a sitting duck!

Putting into practice all of the above will definitely help you feel more confident at the net, and I promise you that confidence will give you so much more success and enjoyment when you’re next playing a good game of doubles. Let me know how you get on!

See also:

Singles Play: How to stop worrying about your volleys and start loving the net

How to stop worrying about your serve

Lizzie Flint is a writer and a practicing level 3 LTA professional tennis coach.

She has been in love with the game since picking up a racquet at the age of four – and she has seen it from every possible angle: playing, analysing and reporting on tennis all over the world. Read more about Lizzie here.